The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1887-04-01
a WASTE PIPE.
A Way by Which the Working Man May
Increase His Wages by Stopping Up IA
Great Leak.

A Way by Which the Working Man May
Increase His Wages by Stopping Up IA
Great Leak.
1t is fact-a lamentable fact-that
the people of this country waste in
rum about two-thirds as much as it
costs them for the necessaries of life.
1t is estimated, by writers upon such
subjects, that the people of the United
States spend each year for bread and
breadstufs $500 900, 600; for meat for
food, 100000, 900; for cotton and
wooden goods, $3.50, 900, 900; for boots
and shoes, 5000, 600, 600; for sugar and
mOlasses, $4,000, 900; giving total
of 81, 600, 100000.
We do not vouch for the accuracy of
these figures, but presume that they
are, in the main, correct. Now, the
same estimates give the annual drink
bill of this country at 5000, 100000.
There are, it is said, 100000 men en-
gagged in the manufacture and sale of
rum. Estimating the labor of each Of
these at only $500 a year, it gives to-
tai of $3.50, 600 900. Add this to the
drink bill given above, and the esti-
mate foOts up the astonishing total
of 81, $50, 100000. That is 1,15O mill
ions for rum, 1000 millions for bread,
meat, clothing, shoes, sugar and mo-
lasses-two-thirds as much for rum as
for these necessaries of lifei
Now, the money spent for rum is as
utterly lost to the men who buy it, as
if it were sunk in the sea. 1t is not
food, it is not clothing, it is not shelter
nor fuel. 1t not only is no benefit
is a decided deteriment to the men who
buy it. And who are they who buy it?
Look around you and see. Count up
the drinking men, o fellow-worker, in
your shop, or store, or factory, OF mill,
number of those who do not drink at
all. You can thus answer the question
yourself. What would be the result,
let us ask you, thinking working-man,
if there were not a rum-hole where one
of your drinking fellow-workmen could
spend his money? Think it over care
fully, and answer candidly to yourself
thequestion. Suppose that there was not
saloon in the land, mot one place where
liquor could be obtained as beverage;
What would then be done with the
money now spent for rum-which. as
we have shown above, is twO-thirds of
the entire sum spent for the necessaries
of life?
Does any one doubt that the money
would be spent for better food, better
clothing, for the drinker and his fam
lily? That countless homes would be
more comfortable, the wives and chill
dren happier and in every way better?
Let us take an example, right here in
Toledo. We have now, in round num-
bers, 500 saloons. We do not know
what their average sales are, but let us
put it at a figure certainly low enough,
and say they average five dollars day
each-and that is below the real
average. That gives us $500 for one
day. In a year-for they are open as
rule seven days week-there is spent
$780, 900 in round numbers over their
counters. Suppose this sum, in place
of being spent for liquor, were invested
in new houses which, with
the lots, should cost $1,000 each.
1t would add 600 such houses
each year to the city. What would
be the effect of such a boom
in building as the erection of 600 new
houses in one year? Would not the
lumber men, and the stone men, and
the carpenters and builders, the stone
and brick masons, the plasterers,
painters, roofers, the cellar-diggers,
the plumbers and paper-hangers, all
have their hands full of work? There
would be no line of business in The city
but would feel the influence of such
boom.
The abolition of this payment Of
such an enormous tax upon the people
as that which is paid to rum, would be
true economy. 1t would mean, prac-
tically, the addition of two-fifths to the
wages of the drinking class; for such
men generally spend all they earn. An
average of two-fifths goes for rum, and
the remaining three fifths for the neces-
saries of life. Is tho.e not here an evil
that needs prompt .amedy?-Toledo
Blade
A NEW temperance home for Sean
dinavian sailors is about to be erected
near the West India docks, London. Il
will cost $4,000.